Control for gyrator-type washing machines



L.. B. GREEN CONTROL FOR GYRATOR TYPE WASHING MACHINES May 22g-'1935.

Filed July 26, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ve r; l'or May 28, 1935. B. GREEN CONTROL FOR GYRATOR TYPE WASHING MACHINES I Filed July 26, 1952 -4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Se E. Grec/f.:

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May 28, 1935.

L, EL GREEN CONTROL FOR GYRTORv TYPE WASHING MACHINES Filed July 26, 1932 4'Sheets-Sheet 3 Leescfreeq May 28, 1935. L. B. GREEN CONTROL 'FOR GYRATOR TYPE WASHING MACHINES Filed July 26, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES CONTROL FOR GYRATOR-TYPE WASHING MACHINES Lee B. Green,

Borden Company,

of Ohio Lakewood, Qhio, assignor to The Warren, Ohio, a-corporation Application July ze, 193g, serial No. 624,782 3 clamaY (el. '259-1011 My invention relates to agitator-driving mechanisms for washing machines of the type in which an agitator (or socalled gyrator) oscillates about a vertical axis within a tub in which the clothes are immersed in the cleansing liquid. (.fener# ally speaking, the objects of my invention are those of eiectively preventing certain serious objections commonly encountered because of the relatively small height at which the bottom of the agitator is spaced upwardly from the bottom of the tub, namely the clothes or other washable goods between the agitator bottom and the tub bottom, the wasteful Vaccumulation of soap chips or the like under the agitator, and the dirt-streaking of the portions of the goods which ordinarily. are' forced under the agitator during the inserting of the goods.

" thus in a quiescent -of the goods (such the result, such portions are often torn, and even With a washingmachine of `this class, it hasl f. heretofore been customary to introduce both the and the washable soap. chips" (or other solid detergent material) goodsV into the water in the tub while the agitator is halted.l Wlththe water state, a considerable portion of the soap chips will descend in the water and collect on the bottom of `the tub. Then when the goods are pressed down intothe water, portions as sleeves and collars of garments, corners or ends of towels, and'even' entire handkerchiefs) usuallyl are forced into the clearance space between the bottom o f the tub and the bottom of the agitator.

While the subsequent oscillating of the agitatorv causes a violent agitation of the water and goods radially outward of'the agitator, this agitation is relatively slight within the said clearance vspace, and the soap under the agitator tends to gum adjacent portions of the goods to the tub bottom/ so that these portions cannot move freely. As

Yif not torn are rubbed back and forth over undissolved soap and over particles of dirt adhering to the soap. 1

Then when the agitator is halted at the end of the washing operation, so that the water again becomesquiescent, moreof the loosened dirt set- -tles down on the tub bottom; and when the goods are being drawn out of the tub, the portions which were under 'the agitator are dragged over the accumulated sediment and come out with streaks lof dirt and the like which must be scrubbed off manually. And, since the accumulation of such sediment increases when successive batches of goods are washedwithout an intervening entire emptying and rinsing of the tub,

the just recited soiling and streaking of the goods becomes all the'more objectionable. ,Moreover, the portions of the goods which are u nder the agitator during the washing operation are squeezed so tightly that the wash water cannot swish back and forth through these parts of the jamming of parts or goods; consequently, such portions of the goodseven if not objectionably streakedare not adequately cleansed, so that further manual labor is required to complete the washing.

What is. more, considerable lint usually collects also with the dirt and other sediment in the bottom of the tub and enhances the streaking of the goods; and a ment is apt to be drawn into the lower bearing of the agitator so as to gum this bearing and in.- crease the torque required for restarting the machine.

My present invention aims to overcome all of these objections without in any way complicating the actuating mechanism or appreciably increas-v ing lthe -manufacturing cost, and without requiring special 'skill or attention on the part of the user.l More particularly, my invention aims to .provide means forthe `above mentioned advantageous purposes which can readily be appliedto washing machinesof the recited type when the agitator-oscillating mechanism includes a. pitman connected at one end to a crank-pin or eccentric,-

and also includes means for varying the distance between the axis of the crank-pin or eccentric and the shaft carrying either of the latter.

Illustrative of the manner in tion maybe applied to several different types of washing machines provided with an adjustable control for the arc of oscillation of the gyrator,

y Fig. l is a central and vertical section through a portion of a'washing machine in which the stroke-controlling mechanism includes an upright and vertically movable alled through a stroke-adjusting eccentric, showing thisworm in the lowermost position in which it adjusts the mechanism for the minimum agitator stroke.

Fig. 2 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1. with the worm member halted (by direct engagement with another part) in the extreme raised position in which it has reduced the stroke of the agitator to a minimum lsuitable for securing the objects of my invention.

`Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gearing and the lower half of the gear casing, taken when the worm member is in its maximum-stroke eiecting position of Fig. 1. i l

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to portions of Fig. v3, taken when the worm member is in its minimum-stroke eiectingposition of Fig. 2, and with the portion 4A somewhat enlarged to clarify the drawings.

Fig. 5 is a section, allied toFig. 1, through a portion of a washing machine in which the stroke-controlling worm member is adjusted by means of a lever and link arrangement, showing this member in'its lowermos'tor maximum-stroke eiectingposition.. y

Fig. 6 is an enlargement of a portion er Fig. 5,

which my invenworm member spirmixture of lint, soap and sedivaried in its stroke by adjusting a swinging sector upon which the crank-pin for the pitman is mounted, showing this sector in a position affording a maximum stroke.

Fig. 9 is a plan viewof the parts shown in Fig. 8, and Fig. is a similar plan view showing the sector as halted in the position affording the minimum stroke.

Fig. l1 is a perspective view of parts of an agitator-oscillatng mechanism allied to Fig. 8, butv in which the crank-pin is mounted on a slide, showing this slide in a position affording a maximum stroke.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 11, with dotted lines showing vthe positions of the slide and the crank-pin in the halted position affording the minimum stroke.

In experimenting with washing machines of the upright tub and oscillating agitator type in which the stroke or arc of oscillation can be adjusted without halting the agitator, I have made the following observations and discoveries, on which my present invention is based:

(A) With the agitator or gyrator of vsuch a washing machine oscillating about a vertical axis,

the centrifugal action of the agitator on the waterin the tub is still sufficient to prevent undissolved soap chips as wellas parts of the washable goods from entering the space under the agitator when the stroke of the agitator is reduced to a minor fraction of its maximum, as for example to from one-tenth to one-twelfth of the maximum stroke.

(B) When the stroke is adjusted to such a small fraction of its maximum, the impeller blades of the agitator swing through so short an arc, and move in each direction at so slow a rate, as not to interfere with the convenient and safe inserting or removal of the goods which are being washed.

(C) The operation of the agitator at such a small fraction of its maximum stroke effectively prevents portions of the goods from being foiced between the agitator and the bottom of the tub and entirely eliminates the heretofore encountered streaking of goods with dirt.

(D) The continuous operation of the agitator at a strokenot less than such a small minimum of its maximum stroke entirely avoids the .gumming of the agitator by soap chips and lint; and likewise keeps soap chips, lint and the like away from the bottom bearing for the agitator.

E) The proportion .of the needed minimum stroke to the maximum stroke can readily be determined by the washing machine manufacturer, according to the speed of 'oscillation and length of stroke of the agitator, the height ofthe clearance space between the tub bottom and the agitator, andthe diameter of the agitator with respect to the tub. y

(F) No dependence should be placed on the judgment of the user of a washing machine for making the adjustment down to the needed minimum stroke if the machine is of the type in which such adjustment can be made without halting the oscillation of the agitator, because the user (if not limited as to the permissible extent of the stroke reduction) is apt to reduce this to such an extent as not to secure -the objects of my invention. Hence an avoiding of the heretofore objections and difficulties in the use of Washing machines equipped with means for man-- ually controlling the stroke of the agitator can only be secured by positively limiting the minimum stroke to which this adjustment can be made.

In harmony with these observations, I have also found thatthe needed halting of the stroke adjustment (in the direction in which it reduces the stroke of the agitator) can be accomplished both easily and cheaply with varying types of agitator-oscillating mechanisms, and particularly so when such a mechanism includes a pitman actuated by an eccentric or crank-arm which is adjustable as to its throw.

For example, Figs. l to 4 show portions of a washing machine allied to my Patent #1,735,459, in which an agitator I (Fig. l) is supported by an upright shaft 5 within a tube 2 with lower portions 2A of the agitator spaced by a quite short distance from the bottom IA of'the tub. Fastened to the agitator shaft 5 below the tub is a pinion 6 meshing with a sectoral gear 'I (Fig. 3)'which has a pin 8 rising from the gear intermediate of the teeth of the gear and an upright shaft on which the gear swings, the sectoral gear -'I being of considerably greater radius than the pinion 6 so as to amplify oscillations imparted to the sectoral gear by an eccentric rod 9 connected at one end to the riser pin 8. Sleeved by an eccentric strap II) at the other end of the ec-e centric rod is an eccentric II supported by a worm wheel I2 which meshes with a worm I3 on the horizontal shaft I4 of an electric motor I5. To permit an adjustment of the eccentricity or throw of the eccentric II with respect to the stationary upright axis of the worm Wheel, the worm wheel has an integral riser projection in the form of a crescent I6 freely spaced from the eccentric strap, which projection is housed by and rotatable within internal gear I'I formed on eccentric, the axis I8 of the internal gear being spaced from the axis I9 of the eccentric. I

Within the smooth shorter wall of the crescent I6 and meshing with the internal gear I1 is a pinion 20 which is coaxial 'with the worm wheel I2 and'which has a downwardly extended hub A journaled in a counterbore 2'I of the worm wheel. 20 will rotate the eccentric II about the crescent I6 so as to vary the distance between the axis I9 of the eccentric and the common axis 22 of the said pinion and worm wheel.

To rotate the pinion for this adjusting purpose, I make the pinion 20 hollow and provide it with an internal spira; thread 23 fitting an upright worin 24 which extends slidably through the pinion. This worm shaft is fastened at 'its lower end to an upright rack 25 which'meshes with a manually rotatable gear` 26, the rack having a fiat bearing against a guide 21, to cooperate with the gear in preventing rotation of the rack and hence of the worm shaft 24. Thus arranged, the upright rack 25 and the worm shaft 24 constitute a vertically movable worm member, the upper portion of which is spirally splined tothe pinion so that vertical movements nof this member will F rotate the pinion 20 and hence will also rotate the eccentric II about the crescent I6, the longer arcuate surface of which crescent constitutes au inner or auxiliary eccentric for adjusting the throw 'of the main eccentric II.

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Thus arranged, a rotation of the pinion tened to this rack has rotated the inner or throwadjusting eccentric II for somewhat less thana half-tum from the position of that eccentric when the rack and the upright worm werein their lowermost positions'as shownin Fig. 1.

With the mechanism thus arranged, the com- .bined rack and upright worm member hold the throw-adjusting inner eccentric I I inthe position shown in Fig. 3 when theA said memberis in its lowermost position of Fig. 1, namely a position ,in which a common plane P through the axis I9 of the inner eccentric and the axis 22 of the pinion 20 (and hence likewise of the driving worm wheel I2) extends also through the axisA of thecrankpin 8 on the sectoral gear 1. In this position the main eccentric has its maximum throw, and the oscillation of the sectoral gear by the pitman 9 is amplified by the pinion 6 so that the agitator oscillates through a correspondingly enlarged arc A.

When therack member is raised, by rotating the control pinion 26, the throw of the main eccentric is decreased, but this decrease'cannot reach the zero point because they rack is halted by the annular stop shoulder 30 before the inner or adjusting eccentric has been rotated a full half turn from its position in Fig. 1, namely when the medial plane through the axes I9 of the internal gearIl and the axis I 9 of the vworm wheel I2 is at an acute angle B to the medial axis ofthe pitman 9, which angle'faces the pivot pin 9 of the sectoral gear. Consequently, the minimum throw permitted by the adjustment will still cause the sectoral gear 'I to oscillate between the extremes shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the agitator will oscillate through the arc C of that figure instead of being halted.

Moreover, with the motor I running at a substantially ,constant speed, the time required for the agitator to move through the minimum arc C of Fig. 4 will still be the same as that needed for' the maximum arc A of Fig. 3; so that the speed at which the impeller blade moves with the minimum adjustment of Fig. 4 is quite low, thereby making it perfectly safe for the user of the machine to remove and replace goods while the agitator has itsA positively dened minimum stroke.

'I'he minimum oscillation thus permitted bymy mechanism can readily be varied by varying the height at which the stop shoulder 30 is disposed, according to the number of vanes on the agitator, the rate at which the motor oscillates the ngitatorVand the diameter of the agitator, since the manufacturer of the washing machineL can easily .determine experimentally what minimum arc of oscillation will be needed to assure a continuous outward forcing of water from under the agitator. For example, with the general type of washing machine here illustrated, this arc may be from one-twelfth to one-eighth oi' the maximum.l oscillation for which the machine is adjustable, namely so small an arc as not to interfere with the ready inserting and withdrawingof the goods which are being washed, the size of the arcs C and B in Figs. 4 and 4A having been exaggerated to make the positions of parts of the mechanism more clearly apparent.

In practice, my provision` for limiting the minimum arc of agitator oscillation for which the machine can be adjusted introduces no diiliculties for the user', who merely is instructed to start the machine by closing a switch S in the .circuit leading to the motor, to adjust the agitator stroke until halted at its minimum before inserting or withdrawing any clothes, and to open the switch only after all goods have been removed from the tub. VSince the driving motor still rotateslcontinuously (although substantially idle) while the goods in the tub are beingremoved and replaced, and since the initial batch of goods can also be inserted while the motor is running, the 'motor is not required to start underthe torque required for starting it from rest under considerable torque, so that the motor cank also be of somewhat lower power thanthat required with the heretofore employed mechanisms.

However, while I have heretofore described my control arrangement in connection with a mechanism in which a stop engages a part fast upon a. worm which rotates a throw-adjusting secondary eccentric, the halting of the adjustment in the 'position in which it ailords a relatively short but still effective oscillation of the agitator may be' effected by a stop positioned for engaging some other one of the elements which are moved during the adjusting of the said throw.

' For example," Figs. 5 to 7 show my control arrangementas applied to the washing machine driving mechanism disclosed in my United States Patent #1,844,503, which mechanism also includes a main eccentricl I 'I swiveled upon an inner eccentric, the latter being rotationally adjustable -by-vertically moving an upright worm 24 and previously deoperatively connected as in my scribed gures.

In this case, the vertical movement of the upright worm is effected by a forked link connectingthe said worm with a lever 41, and this link is halted in its upward (or throw-decreasing movement) by engagement with a stop finger 48 on a stationary part 49 of the machine, as shown in Fig. 6, instead of having the halting effected (as in Fig.'2) by engagement with'an also moving part of the lagitator-driving mechanism. l

Since an eccentric provided with means for adjusting its throwis operatively a crank of adjustable arm length, my invention also lends itself readily for use with washing machine mechanisms in which th'e actuated end of the pitman is connected to a crank pin which can beadjusted as to the distance between the axis of that pin and the axis of the shaft of the crank, as for example with either. cf the' two crank-arm-adjusting` arrangements shown in my United States Patent #1,796,753, l i

For example, Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show a vmechanism in which a crank pin 30 is fastened to a crank-arm 3I whichis pivoted to a worm wheel 32- on a screw 33 extending parallel to the axis 34 of the worm wheel. Underhanging the crank- In this.'

crank-arm has a projecting-finger 40 disposed for engaging one end of this guide to limit the swinging oI-the'crank-arm in the direction in which '4 the axis of the crank pin 30 approaches the axis 34 of the worm wheel.|

In Figs. 11 and 12, the crank pin 30 is fast upon a plate M which slides (in a general plane at right angles to the axis of the worm wheel 32) between two guides 4I, and one end of this sliding plate has two iingers A?. adapted to simultaneously engage the corresponding ends of both guides to limit the movement of the sliding plate in the direction in which the axis of the crank pin approaches the axis 34 of the worm wheel.

With the embodiments of Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, t'ne position of the stop fingers with respect to the crank pin can readily be so determined that the engagement of each stop finger with a guide end will occur when the spacing between the crank pin and the axis of the worm wheel is such as to eiect a minimum throw of the pitman (corresponding to that of eccentric rod in Fig. 4A) to insure a continuous agitator of the water and the immersed goods radially outward of the agitator, so as to accomplish the objects of my invention.

It will also be obvious that in the arrangement of Figs. 9 to 12 the guideswhich engage the stop/fingers are iast on a worm wheel which continually rotates during the operation of the machine, whereas the halting is eiected by engagement with a stationary element in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 5. Hence I -do not wish to be limite-d as to the nature or movability of the element which effects the halting, this being immaterial so long as thev member which is halted is one of the elements which are moved during the adjustmentl of the arc. of oscillation of the agitator; andso long as this halting occurs when the said iices to eiiect a lcontinuous'agitation of the Water and goods radially outward of the agitator, thereby overcoming all four of the heretofore objections (enumerated in numbered paragraphs in the earlierpart of this specification), which objections are encountered whenever the mechanism is such that the arc of oscillation can be reduced to zero while the driving shaft of the machine is' rotating.

Nor do I Wish to be limited to the general types of washing machine mechanisms here illustrated,

since the nature of the adjustable stroke mechanism interposed between the continuously rotating driving shaft of the machine and the oscillatable agitator is immaterial,.so longas means are provided for positively limiting the minimum arc of oscillation of4 the agitator to the above recited still elective stroke.

However, the disposition of the stop with respect to the part halted by this stop is preferably such as to reduce the 'stroke of the 'agitator' to a quite small fraction of the maximum stroke, so as to allow ample room for inserting and removing goods in the tub and also to slow up the movement of the impellers of the agitator suflciently to avoid any interference with the handling of the goods and any forcible impact of theimpellers onv the hands of the user.

I claim as my invention: v 1. In a washing machine, an upright tub, 'an agitator oscillatable about-a Vertical axis within the tub, a continuously rotating member; instrumentalities operatively with the rotating m-ember whereby the rotation of that member `oscillates the agitator, an ,adjusting mechanism whereby the stroke of the agitator eiected by the said instrumentalities arc. of oscillation sufconnect'ing the agitatorcan be varied without halting the rotating member, the said mechanism comprising a plurality of movable elements, and a stop'element in the path of movement of a certain one of the said movable elementsoi the adjusting mechanism, the stop element being positioned for engagement by the said certain one of the movable elements for positively preventing the actuation of the adjusting mechanism in the stroke-reducing direction beyond a point where the oscillation of the agitator is only slightly greater than the minimum required for continually urging water within the tub radially outward along the bottom of the tub from under the agitator; and a stationary casing supporting the said movable elements, the said stop, element being fast with respect to the casing and the said one of the movable elements being movable respectively toward and away from the said stop element by relatively opposite actuations of the adjusting mechanism.

2. In a washing machine, an upright tub, an agitator oscillatable about a vertical axis Within the tub, a continuously rotating member; instrumentalities operatively connecting the agitator with the rotating member whereby the rotation of that member oscillates the agitator, an adjusting mechanism whereby the stroke of the agitator -eiected by the sai-d instrumentalities can be varied ywithout halting the rotating member, the sai-d mechanism comprising a plurality of movable elements, and a stop element in the path of a certain one of the said movable elements of the adjusting mechanism, the stop being non-adjustably positioned for engagement by the said certain one of the movable elements so that the interengagement of the last named two elements positively prevents the actuation of the adjusting mechanism in the stroke-reducing direction beyond a point lation of the agitator is only slightly greater than the minimum required for continually urging water within the tub radially outward along the bottom of the tub from under the agitator.

3. In av washing machine, an upright tub, an agitator oscillatable about a-vertical axis within the tub, a continuously rotating member, instrumentalities operatively connecting the agitator with rotation of. that member oscillates the agitator, an adjusting mechanism whereby theA stroke of the agitator effected by thesaid instrumentalities can be varied without halting the rotating member, the said mechanism comprising a plurality of movable elements,- and a stop element in the path of a certainone of the said movable elements of the adjusting mechanism, the 'stop element being non-adjustably positioned for engagement by the said certain one element so that the interengagement of the last named two elements prevents the actuation of the adjusting mechanism in the'stroke-reducing direction beyond a point-at which the arc of oscillation is approximately not less than one-tenthv nor more than one-twelfth the maximum arc of oscillation for which the agitator can be adjusted by the said mechanism;v and a casing normally completely housingv the said stop element and the said certain one element to prevent access to the said interengaging elements by the user of the washing machine.

. LEE B. GREEN.

where the oscilthe rotating member whereby the 

